Fluid withdrawal means for tanks



March 9, 1965 M. NANNI FLUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS FOR TANKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed April 19, 1963 FIG.1

INVENTOR MARTIN NANNI BY A FIG.

HIS ATTORNEY.

March 9, 1965 M. NANNl FLUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS FOR TANKS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 19, 1963 INVENTOR.

MARTIN NANNI x K /W44 HIS ATTORNEY.

March 9, 1965 M. NANNI FLUID WITHDRAWAL MEANS FOR TANKS Filed April 19, 1965 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 j j i- F I G. 8

INVENTOR.

MARTIN NANNI HIS ATTORNEY.

United States Patent Oifice 3,172,581 Patented Mar. 9, 1965 This invention relates to fluid systems and relates more particularly to a flui'd'outlet arrangement for tanks and the like wherein the'fluid'delivery orifice is always located at a point only slightly below theliquid level and never the bottom of the tank:

The present invention has a variety of uses but it is particularly adapted'for fuel tanks for home and industrial applications, for gasoline-tanks in service stations and for use in many other areas where impurities and solids which are heavier than the product, such as fuel oil or gasoline, inevitably find their way into the tank.

In the case of fuel oil tanks, there is always the problem with water, sand, sludge, heavy ends, and even bacteria which continue to multiply. All this foreign material collects in the lower section of the tank and if any of it is picked up by the usual fixed fluid delivery pipe, which usually has its intake end a feW inches above the bottom of the tank, the burner is put out of commission and requires the attention of a serviceman.

An important object of the invention is to provide a swingable arm provided with a fluid delivery orifice at its outer end which moves up and down in a well defined arcuate path as the fluid level raises and lowers and which gives years of trouble free operation. This outer end of the arm has a float which maintains the delivery orifice a predetermined distance below the liquid level, generally about one inch. For the greater part of the time, the tank is more than half filled but even if the tank supply becomes dangerously low and the float approaches the tank bottom the intake arrangement for the arm is such that the orifice never gets to the bottom so that none of the more objectionable foreign material is delivered from the tank.

Movable delivery pipes have been controlled by floats but generally these delivery pipes are connected with the fluid exit conduit by a swingable joint requiring the usual packing which soon wears out because of the continuing movement. These swingable arms also have an annoying habit of jamming or freezing in a fixed position.

In accordance with the present invention, there are no pivoted joints having wearing surfaces requiring packing and there is also no possibility of the float striking the sides of the tank since it is guided up and down in a definite arcuate path at the center of the tank.

Another object of the invention is to provide an assembly of this type which is so constructed as to definitely avoid the possibility of jamming in an up or a down position.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a sectional elevation of a tank showing the swingable arm:

FIG. 2 is a view taken along line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational view of the outer end of the float and outlet pipe;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 1 but showing a modified arrangement of the swingable arm;

FIG. 5 is a perspective of the arm of FIG. 4;

FIG. 6 is a sectional View taken along line 66 of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a sectional elevation showing still another modification;

FIG. 8 is an enlarged sectional view of the float.

FIG. 1 shows a tank 10 equipped with the fluid delivery system of the present invention. The tank has a number of openings only one of which is shown at 11. This opening is positioned along the upper wall of the tank and is threaded to receive an adapter assembly including a threaded adapter12 having an upper rim l4 with threaded holes to receive screws 16 to secure a cover plate 18 thereto. This cover plate has openings to receive afvent'pipew and afluid delivery pipe 20, both being rigidly mounted in theadapter' assembly. 51 i j A flexible conduit 21 is secured a't'the lower end 0 this pipe and the'opposite end-is fixed to a tswingable .arm forming a-fluid intake pipe 22 having, near its outer end; an arcuatecut-oilt seotionfz l on'its lower surface section '26. This end must be" closed asbypinching the metal as shown at 29. Alternatively, the float itself may close the end of the pipe.

For the purpose of confining movement of the float and a swingable arm to a well defined arcuate path, a block 31 is mounted in fixed relation at the lower end of the fluid delivery pipe 20 and another block 31 is mounted in fixed relation near the inner end of fluid intake pipe 22. An arm 32 is pivotally mounted at one end at 34 on block 39 and at the other end it is secured in Xed relation at 36 on block 31.

The length of delivery pipe 20 should be about onehalf the depth of the tank so that fluid intake pipe can swing upwardly and downwardly about an equal distance from the horizontal. When the tank is substantially empty the float will be generally parallel with the tank bottom on which it rests. The float and the delivery pipe which carries the float are so proportioned that the bottom of opening 24 is about one inch from the bottom of the area and below this level the major heavy sludge and solids accumulation is concentrated.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that there is no possibility of malfunctioning of the apparatus and under no circumstances can fluid inlet tube turn over so that inlet opening is on top and sucks air rather than product.

In the modified form of the invention shown in FIGS. 4 through 6 the tank 40 has a plurality of openings including a top wall opening 41 and a front Wall opening with a nipple 42 extending outwardly therefrom. The apparatus in this instance has a block 44 forming a weighted base and having a through horizontal opening 46 which receives a supply pipe 48 at one end thereof and which passes into tank nipple 42 in snug fit relation. At its other end the opening 46 is threaded to receive a threaded nipple 49 which is secured therein by a nut 50.

The float 51 is substantially the same as in the first embodiment and has a longitudinal opening to receive the fluid intake pipe 52 having the same fluid inlet opening. A flexible tube 56 connects nipple 49 with fluid inlet pipe 52. The float and fluid delivery pipe are guided in their up and down movement by means of two arms 58 which are suitably secured at their outer ends in float 51. They are inturned at their inner ends at 59 and pass into a transverse opening 60 in block 44. Adjacent the nipple 49 the arms are offset inwardly at 61.

In the last form of the invention the tank 64 has a fixed vertical rod 66. A float 68 has a vertical opening 69 through which the rod passes. This float has a vertical opening 70 which has a lower horizontal section 71 coming out the side of the float. A flexible tube 72 connects opening 7% with a delivery pipe 74- Which is secured with a bushing 76 mounted in a hole in the top wall.

While there have been described herein what are at present considered preferred embodiments of the invention, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that many modifications and changes may be made therein without departing from the essence of the invention. It is therefore to be understood that the exemplary embodiments :3 are illustrative and not restrictive of the invention, the scope of which is defined in the appended claim, and that all modifications that come within the meaning and range of equivalency of the claim are intended to be included therein.

I claim:

The combination with a fuel oil tank, of outlet means for withdrawing oil from a point near the level of the oil in the tank, said means comprising an oil delivery assembly including a pipe extending through the top wall of the tank, a fluid outlet assembly including a tubular arm pivoted at its inner end on said pipe and provided with a flexible conduit connecting the said inner end with the pipe, the outer end of the tubular arm being bent upwardly at an angle of about 30 and having on its lower surface an intake orifice adjacent to the bent area, an elongated cylindrical float secured at the outer end of the arm and which rises and falls as the fluid level changes, the proportion of the float being such that as it rises and falls the intake orifice is just below the liquid level.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS LGUIS J. DEMBO, Primary Examiner. HADD S. LANE, Examiner. 

